1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a moving body terminal device, an information providing device, an information providing system, an information providing method, and a medium having recorded thereon a program for use in the moving body terminal device. These are used in a system in which the terminal device prepares a search request according to a service menu held therein to send to a center.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, an on-line information providing service has widely been used. In such a service, a user at a terminal device accesses an information center via a telephone line, or the like, and sends a search request thereto to obtain a reply therefrom including information and service. As moving body communication prevails, such an on-line service becomes usable from a moving body terminal device which uses a portable terminal device and a vehicle-mounted terminal device.
For example, PCT international publication No. W096/17315 discloses an on-line information searching system in which a user at a moving body terminal device accesses an information center to obtain a reply which meets predetermined condition from the center.
In using such an on-line information providing service, it is preferable that a user knows the content of the services offered by the center before he accesses the center. That is, if aimed information is available to a user by simply selecting items shown in a service menu screen, the user can obtain desired information with an easy operation. However, it takes time to complete a search request when menu screen data is sent from the information center every time the user applies. In actuality, a shorter access time to the center is desired particularly when a moving body terminal device is used, as an ample communication time may not be ensured or a line may be disconnected halfway through data communication. In this view, the moving body terminal device is preferably loaded with menu data corresponding to the content of the services offered by the information center to display a search menu based on the data so that a user can use the menu to prepare a search request.
By the way, the content of the services by the information center may be updated at any time. If the menu data remains the same on the device side, a user cannot use newly available services. In order to avoid this problem, a search program including service content data may be periodically updated. However, this takes time and cost and still does not always guarantee a user access to the latest service.
The present invention aims to achieve information searching in which data on new service content from an information center is received and utilized in a terminal device.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a moving body terminal device, comprising:
a display device;
menu screen generation means for causing the display device to generate a menu screen according to a menu held by the moving body terminal device;
communication means for preparing a search request according to a menu item included in the menu screen generated to send to an information center, and for receiving information in response to the search request; and
update means for receiving information concerning a new menu item which is not included in the menu screen to update the menu screen.
With this arrangement, the moving body terminal device can receive new menu content from the information center and update the menu screen held therein. Therefore, it is always possible to update the menu held in the moving terminal device. Particularly, since only the data on the difference between the menu held in the device and the new menu held in the center is transmitted, a communication amount can be reduced. This is effective to maintain relatively low communication costs to update a menu.
Also, preferably, the above device further comprises comparison means for comparing a version number of the menu screen held in the moving body terminal device and a version number of a menu screen held in the information center so that the information concerning a new menu item is received when the version numbers are different.
Through comparison of versions, whether or not the menu on the moving body terminal side needs to be updated can be easily determined. Also, it is easy to prepare difference data in the information center which is necessary to update a menu, and it is also possible to prepare in advance update data among menus of different versions.
Also, in the above device, the menu item preferably relates to search information for facility searching.
When a search condition for facilities is updated, the menu item relative to the facility searching condition is updated so that a user can receive convenient services.
Also, in the above device, the menu item preferably relates to a telephone number of an access point for accessing the information center.
Generally, a user uses a portable phone to access an information center. Calling the nearest access point to the moving body terminal device in use to access an information center may be effective to reduce communication costs. For this purpose, an access point table is preferably provided in the moving body terminal device so that the optimum access point can be selected referring to the table based on the present position of the moving body terminal device. When any change is made to access points, such as addition of a new access point, the change is reflected to the table so that the optimum access point can always be selected.
Also, preferably, the above device further comprises
locating means for locating a position of the moving body terminal device, and
means for selecting an access point according to the position located.
A moving body terminal device is often equipped with a present position detection device such as a GPS (global positioning system) device. Therefore, according to the present position located by such a device, the optimum access point can be always selected.
Also, preferably, the above device further comprises
an access point table concerning an access point corresponding to a communication company so that an access point corresponding to a communication company which deals a portable telephone connected, is selected.
Generally, a plurality of communication companies offer communication services for portable phones, and the portable phones may be handled by different communication companies. By selecting an access point which is handled by a communication company which also handles the moving terminal device in use, smooth communication can be ensured. It is therefore preferable, for example, that an access point table is prepared for every communication company so that a portable phone in use is automatically recognized and a suitable access point table can be selected referring to the table.
Also, in the above device, the new menu item supplied from the information center is compared with the menu item included in the menu held in the moving body terminal device so that menu update data is requested based on a comparison result.
Such a comparison ensures a reliable request of menu update.
Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information providing device, comprising:
information searching means for receiving a search request from a moving body terminal device to send information according to the search request as a reply; and
transmission means for, when a service item included in a menu stored in the moving body terminal device is different from a service item about which the information searching means is capable of searching, transmitting data on the difference to the moving body terminal device.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information providing system, wherein
a moving body terminal device prepares a search request according to a menu held in the moving body terminal device, and sends the search request prepared to an information center. Further,
the information center sends information to the moving body terminal device in response to the search request as a reply, and a new service item which is not set in the menu held in the moving terminal device, and
the moving terminal device updates the menu held in the moving terminal device according to the new service item received.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information providing method for achieving the above operation.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medium which has a program recorded therein for achieving the above operation. Such a medium is available in the form of a CD-ROM, and stored in a computer, such as an ECU, which is incorporated into a moving body terminal device. Alternatively, it may be supplied from an information center via communication with the moving body terminal device.